Curved-needle-guide mechanism.



E. ERICKSON.

CURVED NEEDLE GUIDE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1911. RENEWED FEB. 18. 1915.

1,15 1 ,769., Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

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CURVED NEEDLE GUIDE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1911. RENEWED FEB. 18.1915.

1 1 5 1 ,7691, Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

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UNITED 3TATES PATENT @FPKQE.

EDWARD ERICKSON, OF WEST LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 VICTOR SHOE I/IACLIINERY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSA- CHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF 1VASSACHUSETTS.

CURVED-NEEDLE-GUIDE IHECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Original application filed August 13. 1911, Serial. H0. 644,709. Divided. and this application filed December 1, 1911, Serial No. 663,942. Renewed February 18, 1915. Serial No. 9,208.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD ERICKSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of W est Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Jlassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curved-Needle-Guide Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for sewing heavy materials such as leather, and relates especially to welt sewing machines employing curved needles.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved means for guiding the needle during its oscillations, the guide mo ing with the needle when the latter is out of wor: so that the point of the needle can not be sprung aside by any lateral pull of the thread.

To this end the present invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents an elevation of a machine embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 represents a detail, partly in section, of the needle carrier, and a portion of its actuator, and Fig. 3 represents a section, the cutting plane being on line 33 of Fig. 2.

This application is a division of my application 6%,769, filed Aug. 18, 1911, to which reference may be made for the operation of the entire lock stitch sewing machine of which the needle guide mechanism herein shown and described forms a part.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all of the views.

In the embodiment of tile inventionillustrated, tae base 30 is formed or provided with uprights or standards 32, having bearings for a lower main or drive shaft 33 and an upper counter shaft 37 and a fixed shaft 38. The shaft 38 has mounted thereon certain parts which form no part of the present invention and therefore are not described. The main shaft is adapted to be driven in any well-known manner, and has a crank 35 intermediate its ends, to which crank is connected one end of a pitman 36 for actuating the awl and needle as hereinafter described.

end of shaft 37 so that the latter is driven by the main shaft. This shaft 37 operates certain mechanisms forming no part of the present invention and which are not therefore described.

In the machine a curved needle 121 is used which needle is secured to a carrier 122 which is oscillated by the pitman 36, said carrier having an arc slot 123, the purpose of which will be presently described. The needle carrier 122 is mounted on the hub 12% of the needle guide or support 125 which latter is mounted to oscillate on the fixed stud 126 which is mounted in fixed bracket arms 12'? and 128, and has a flange 129 provided with a pin 130 projecting laterally into a recess 131 formed in one end of the hub 12%. The hub 12% is formed with a pocket for a roll 132 the diameter of which is greater than the thickness of said hub, the inner surface of the portion of the needle carrier which is mounted on said hub 12% being formed with a shallow recess so that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the roll locks the said hub and needle carrier together to cause the needle guide and needle to oscillate together. lhe surface of the stud shaft 126 is formed with a depression or recess 133 which permits the roll 132 to recede from the needle carrier and unlock it from the hub 12% so that said carrier may oscillate on said hub while the latter remains stationary. This structure provides for a lost motion oonnection between the needle and needle guide the latter being, however, positively actuated bv the needle carrier. The carrier 122 is provided with a pin 134, one end of which extends into an arc-shaped recess 135 in a flanged portion of the hub 124. hen the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the needle carrier and the guide are positively locked together because the roll 132 is partly in the pocket of the hub 124 of the guide and partly in the recess in the inner surface of the hub of carrier 122.

thereinto suilicie'ntly to release said roll from the recess in the inner surface of the hub of carrier 122. At this point the upper end of recess 131 reaches the fixed pin 130, and the guide is stopped; but the needle can continue, so as to perform its function, the pin 13% passing idly along the arc recess 135. The roll 132, being partly in the stud recess 133, locks the guide to the stud. On the return movement, the guide remains locked to the stud until the recess in the hub of the carrier comes opposite the roll, and at the same time the pin 13a reaches the rear end of arc recess 135 so that continued rearward movement toward the position shown in Fig. 8 causes the hub 124: to pull the roll out of inner recess 133 so that the roll is shifted into the outer recess in the hub of the carrier, thus again locking the two oscillating members 122, 125 together so that the guide must follow the movements of the needle until the latter is again just about to enter the work. It will thus be seen that the needle guide is intermittently locked positively to oscillate in unison with the needle,

when the latter is out of the work, and alternately therewith is positively locked in a stationary position while the needle is in the work. Owing to this locking of the needle guide in stationary position while the needle is in the work, there is no liability of its following the first upward or pulling-out motionof the needle, due to friction, or otherwise. It is positively locked down until the needle rises far enough to bring the needle and its guide into the relative positions which they mustoccupy for the guide to serve its intended purpose, and then it is again locked; but this second locking is to the needle carrier s as to insure the retention of said cooperating relative positions until the needle again enters the work. Then the shift back to the stationary lock occurs at the proper time to prevent the guide from hammering either the work or the presser foot.

The curved awl 137'is secured to a; carrier 138, mounted to oscillate on the fixed stud 126, but as the awl. operating mechanism forms no part of the present invention, it is not described.

It is believed that the operation and advantages of the needle guide mechanism herein described will be fully understood Without further description.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a sewing machine, a curved needle,

means for oscillating it, an oscillating guide for the needle, a positive lock connecting the guide and needle when the latter is out of the work, and a positive lock holding the guide stationary while the needle is in the and carrier therefor, a needle guide or sup-.

port mounted to oscillate about the axis of oscillation of the needle, and connections for positively actuating said support by the needle carrier in both directions when the needle is out of the work. 7

, l. in a sewing machine, a stitch forming mechanism including anoscillatory needle and carrier therefor, a needle guide or support mounted tooscillate about the axis of oscillation of'the needle, and lost-motion connections between the needle carrier and support to positively actuatethe latter by the former, means being provided for stopping advance movement of the support before it canreach the work.

5. In a sewing machine, a stitch-forming mechanism including an oscillatory needle and carrier therefor, and a needle guide or support, the carrier and support having hubs one of which is mounted upon the other, clutch mechanism between the two hubs whereby the carrier hub may move freely on the other hub and then engage and actuate it, and means for oscillating the carrier, means being provided for stopping ad vance movement of the support before it can reach the work. I

6. In a sewing machine, a stitch-forming mechanism including an oscillatory needle and carrier therefor, and a needle guide or support, the carrier and support having hubs one of which is mounted upon the other, clutch mechanism between the two hubs whereby the carri r hub may move freely on the other hub and then engage and actuate it, said clutch mechanism including a roll mounted in a pocket in the inner hub and movable to and from a locking recess in the outer hub, and means for oscillating the carrier.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD ERICKSON.

Witnesses A. W. HARRISON, J. M. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

